The Best of Small Business in Hawaiʻi 2023
Profiles of 12 local companies that won our 2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards for their ingenuity, grit, service, perseverance or all of the above. Plus two inductees into the 2023 Hawai‘i Small Business Hall of Fame, each more than a century old.
MEET YOUR AWARD-WINNING SMALL BUSINESSES OF 2023
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Fujikami Florist Has 104 Years of Experience Expressing Emotions Through Flowers
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Eileen Miura continues a proud family legacy at Hawaiʻi’s oldest florist in Downtown Honolulu.
Photo: Christian Kahahawai
Tip Top Motel, Café & Baker Preserves a No-frills, Family Atmosphere on Kauaʻi
SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Awards Hall of Fame: Fourth-generation owner Jonathan Ota maintains the spirit of the original Līhuʻe breakfast spot started in 1916
Aloha Revolution Turns a Small Online Store into a Major Shirt Brand
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Ed hopes to spread his aloha with unique designs and special fundraiser shirts.
Islander Sake Brewery Produces Traditional Sake with Some Local Flavors
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Chiaki Takahashi and Tama Hirose operate Hawaiʻi’s only licensed sake brewery and a new sushi restaurant.
Island Pet Movers Is Happy to Transport Your Aardvark
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Kair Mendoza’s company moves 5,000 pets a year, and sometimes more exotic creatures.
Photo: Keaton Kamakaiwi
Keaau Filipino Food Store Offers Specialty Products and Freshly Made Desserts
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Maria Tereza Gacula and Mitchell Gacula expand the small-town grocery started by their parents in Puna.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Create Design Hawai’i Thrives Making Branded Merch for Local and Mainland Companies
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owner Tiana Gamble wants to keep breaking down “the barriers of expectations”.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Missing Home, the Chefs of Istanbul Hawaii Recreate the flavors of Turkey
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Mother and daughter team Nilgun Yildirim and Ahu Hettema source local ingredients at their Kakaʻako restaurant.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Waltz Engineering Finds Its Niche in Industrial Laundry Equipment and Boiler Plants
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Owners Dick and Lorinda Waltz serve Hawaiʻi, Pacific Island and U.S. Navy bases around the world.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Wasabi Tours Hawaii Introduces Visitors to the Big Island’s Natural Beauty
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: This top-ranked company focuses on small-group tours and low-impact experiences, says co-founder Jay Geng.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Hawaii Veterinary Vision Care Treats Cats, Dogs, Tigers and Rhinos
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Dr. Maya Yamagata specializes in eye health and vision for an unusual array of patients.
Photo: courtesy of Kōloa Rum Co.
Inspired by the Past, Koloa Rum Co. Is Innovating for Modern Tatses
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: President and CEO Bob Gunter says the premium Kauaʻi-made rum is sold in 32 states and internationally.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Guieb Cafe Overcomes Pandemic Odds to Open Three Restaurants on O’ahu
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Founder Ernesto Guieb finds success with favorites like ube mascarpone pancakes and adobo fried rice omelets.
Photo: Aaron Yoshino
Shaka Guide Takes Drivers on Immersive Audio Tours of the Islands
2023 SmallBiz Editor’s Choice Award winner: Co-founder Andrew Fowers says the phone app tours are like “podcasts on steroids”.
MAHALO FOR SUPPORTING THIS YEAR’S BEST OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN HAWAI’I PROGRAM
This year’s Best of Small Business in Hawai‘i feature was made possible in part with the support of Bank of Hawai‘i and Atlas Insurance Agency. The award winners and Hall of Fame inductees were chosen by the Hawaii Business Magazine editorial staff; the profiles were independently written and then edited by the editorial staff.
At Bank of Hawaiʻi, we’ve been big believers in small business since 1897.
For over 125 years, we’ve been committed to helping generations of entrepreneurs realize their dreams of building a successful business in this place we call home. Today, we’re honored to continue our tradition as a sponsor of this year’s Hawaii Business Magazine’s “Best of Small Business Awards.” We know starting and running a small business takes courage, grit and determination—and we salute every owner for their commitment to following it through. They are the economic, employment and innovation engine that powers Hawai‘i and moves us all forward. We’re especially proud to congratulate all of our Bank of Hawai‘i winning clients—and all the winners—for their hard work. To every small business owner across our islands, mahalo for all you do.
– Matt Emerson, Vice Chair, Bank of Hawai‘i
Mahalo to the small businesses who are our community’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers.
Atlas Insurance Agency was founded in 1929, with a focus on supporting generations of families and small businesses in Hawaii. Being locally owned, at Atlas Insurance Agency, we understand that small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. To further our commitment to the community we call home, we are launching our extensive Small Business Unit this year, specifically catering to the needs of Hawaii’s small business community. This unit offers local specialists who have decades of experience, a free 24/7 client service and training portal, and the full backing of the largest insurance agency in the state. We are honored to be the sponsor of Hawaii Business Magazine’s Best of Small Business awards for 2023 and proudly support the honorees who are the foundation of our economy.
– Chason Ishii, President, Atlas Insurance Agency
